Umbilical cord stem cell therapy for bronchopulmonary dysplasia: Ready for prime time?

摘要

Chronic lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary arterial hypertension and others contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality worldwide, yet successful interventions are often limited. Over the past decade, there has been an explosion of excitement regarding potential roles for stem cell therapies to prevent, repair or regenerate lung tissue to improve outcomes of these severe, progressive and often fatal disorders. Based on strong preclinical data, early clinical studies are currently underway to explore safety and potential efficacy in adults with chronic pulmonary diseases, including COPD, idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension and others.In children, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) remains one of the more common yet challenging respiratory disorders for which current strategies are extremely limited. BPD is the chronic lung disease that develops in premature newborns who require respiratory support and oxygen therapy after birth. BPD has changed remarkably since its original description over 45 years ago, and remains a 'moving target:' a disease modulated and at least partly defined by the impact of therapeutic interventions themselves.